Proposal for An Independent Advisory Panel on DWP-Related Deaths

There must be an independent review of the deaths and suicides caused by the DWP's failed systems.

Author: Mo Stewart

As the research lead for the Preventable Harm Project, Mo Stewart exposed the public health crisis generated by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and their total disregard for the preventable harm created by successive social policy reforms in the Preventable Harm Project.

The continued use of the fatally flawed work capability assessment (WCA), adopted by the DWP to limit access to long-term disability benefit, is linked to a growing public mental health crisis and to suicides linked to the brutality of the DWP and the public fear of the next enforced WCA.

Mo Stewart’s concern regarding the DWP’s continued disregard of all the evidence demonstrating the ongoing government induced preventable harm has led her to identify the need for an Independent Advisory Panel on DWP-Related Deaths.

The Ministry of Justice supports an Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody, and a similar independent panel is long-overdue to expose the thousands of DWP-related deaths linked to the WCA.

John McDonnell MP is a great friend of the chronically ill and disabled community and has already mentioned this need for a new independent panel during debate in the House of Commons. He will be pressing for an Early Day Motion debate to gain political support.

The need for a new independent panel on DWP-related deaths has attracted a great deal of support, with Kamran Mallick, CEO of Disability Rights UK, advising: 

‘Disabled people and those with long-term health conditions have been systematically harmed by a welfare system that prioritises cost-cutting over care, suspicion over support, and bureaucracy over basic human dignity.’

There is support for Mo Stewart’s proposal from academics, psychiatrists, and the disability support groups including Independent Living, Black Triangle and DPAC.

Read and download the free pdf in your browser, link below.


The publisher is Mo Stewart. An Independent Advisory Panel on DWP-Related Deaths © Mo Stewart 2025.

Documents

Paper | 23.02.25

Basic Income, Chronic Illness Inclusion, disability, health & healthcare, politics, social justice, tax and benefits, England, Paper

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Mo Stewart

England

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Also see

Paper: 20.07.23 Letter to Director General of DWP This letter asks the DWP to accept the harm caused by their ongoing approach to disabled people.
Article: 02.03.23 Persecuting Those in Greatest Need Toxic welfare policies did not start with the 2010 Coalition Government, many began under New Labour.
Article: 02.03.23 A Culture of Cruelty Thatcherism and neoliberalism has created a toxic culture that targets disabled people for harm.
Paper: 14.10.22 The Politics of Fear How the UK government has created an effective hostile environment for sick and disabled people.
Paper: 01.11.24 The Public Health Crisis Created by UK Social Policy Reforms An overview of the damaging social policies that have targeted sick and disabled people.